Fairest by Marissa Meyer Is A Deliciously Villainous Prequel

Am I suprised? Nope. I’ve read 3 books in the Lunar Chronicles (Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress) and they just get better and better.* I was so curious about this book because Queen Levana (the villain of the series) hadn’t had copious character-development so far. To me, she was Distantly Villainous But Not Overly Understandably Interesting. (Like President Snow from The Hunger Games!) Would Fairest make me feel sorry for her or hate her with a fiery passion?

GUESS WHAT?? IT DID BOTH!

Fairest made me pity and loathe Levana all at once.** That takes extraordinarily amazing writing skills. I bow to Marissa Meyer. She is possibly the Queen of YA.

* Which presents awkwardness since I rated Cinder 5-stars and then liked Scarlet even better and…I NEED MORE STARS, CLEARLY.
** These are complex emotions, peoples! Pity me!

The writing is gorgeous as usual.

I felt it took me 10 or so pages to really get into it…but I wasn’t sure if it’s because I haven’t been in Lunar Land for so long OR if the beginning dragged.

Ohhhh, but the romance is CREEPY.

It’s written so so well and you can nearly see both sides. But Levana is downright creepy. At 15 she becomes obsessed with a palace guard. He sees a miserable little girl (glamours hiding something horrible??) and he offers simple friendship…except she sees it as LOVE. It’s a miserable tale of brainwashing and manipulation and emotional torture. And since it’s from Levana’s point-of-view, I totally understood WHY she did it. But it was oh-so-wrong and clearly awful.

Now Fairest IS a prequel…but I DON’T think you should read it first.

Read it second, or third, or whatever (it is a nice bridge from Cress to Winter) but I don’t feel it’d have a lot of impact if it was your first Lunartic book.

What they eat on Lunar (this is a very important tidbit and, obviously, delicious).

Why are you even still here?! YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK.

It twisted me in a incredible knot of emotions and it’s only 222-pages. I was so sucked in. I read it in a few hours flat and devoured the sample chapters of Winter. I NEED MORE. I need Winter. And while I pity Levana, I still hate her. She is a gloriously wicked villain with a completely tragic backstory and warped intentions.

I’m counting down until November when Winter comes out that is FOR SURE. (Also…did you know Winter is going to be 800 pages?! Oh. my. gosh.)

Thank you Macmillan Australia for the review-copy! Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles 0.5) by Marissa Meyer came out on February 1st, 2015.

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told. Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all? Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now. Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

i’m quite a fan of villains myself…but do you like reading from the villain’s perspective?! tell me about a book you’ve read that was by the villain (and did you like it? yay/nay?) and who’s excited for Winter?! do i hear the lunartics screaming??

Cait is out of her mind right now due to editing copiously. Seriously. It’s pretty bad. She finds herself needing a lot of chocolate and frequent breaks on pinterest. Besides editing like a fiend, she has been reading Unwanted by Amanda Holohan and folding origami lilies. As you do.

I have picked Cinder up SO many times but NEVER finished it, because I strongly disliked it…BUT I reserved it at my library the other day because I am an unfortunate desperate lowly little person that desperately wants to be part of this massive fandom SO I SHALL FINISH IT IF IT KILLS ME.

AD OMG CAIIIIIIIIIIT YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY SO MUCH PRETTAHHH. THAT THIRD ONE WHOAHHH.

HA. I UNDERSTAND ACTUALLY. Believe it or not, I DNF'd Cinder originally. 0.0 I know right?! I'm this wild fan but I read 1 chapter and didn't like it…but my sister (who loved it) convicned me to get it out again and ooooohmigosh I am sucked in.afjdklafds THANK YOU. It like my life ambition to be better at photography. XD

Fairest was an amazing book. I almost wasn’t going to read it because I’m usually not a fan of dark and depressing books, but I had to read it because how can I not read a Lunar Chronicles book? I really loved learning Levana’s back story because before I thought she was incessantly evil with no reason. Now, I know her motivations.

I’m so excited for all 800 pages of Winter, but now we have to wait for sooooo loooooonnnnngggg. I didn’t even read the sample chapters because I don’t want to throw myself into that kind of pain. 🙂

EXACTLY! It's like mandatory for a Lunartic. 😉 And I like that it's actually a novel too, not just a teeny short story. And agreed! Agreed! I SO love knowing her motives. It makes the entire series more poignant.

So I suck and have not read this series even though I have an audiobook copy of Cinder. But I know I should because everyone I know loves this series with a passion! This year, I promise to read this series!

KJDSAHGJDLHGLDSJHGLSDGHJDSHGSLJHSDJHSGSH I soooooo want to read this. Marissa Meyer is basically a genius anyway and I really like to read books / watch movies that are told from the villain’s POV. This sounds so creepy and excellent! And the food is /totally/ important. 😛

NO THEY PUSHED THE RELEASE DATE BACK WHEN FAIREST WAS ANNOUNCED. So no Winter until November. :((( Which is ironic for me, because November is like the beginning of summer and I will be MELTING by still reading Winter. hehe.I don't even care what she puts in those 800 pages. AS LONG AS CINDER AND KAI GET TOGETHER, GOSH DARNIT. Or Kai and Iko. I'm flexible.

LET ME FLAIL AND SCREAM WITH YOU BECAUSE AJFLDKAFSDA THIS SERIES. WEEEELL. Let me explain. Maggie Stiefvater is like queen of writing and Marissa Meyer is queen of YA and Sarah J Maas is queen of fantasy and I am queen of everything. *nods*

I read Fairest recently [the review will be up soon] and I loved it too! I thought I was going to see how Levana has excuses for being so evil y’know, but she was just pure evil. AND THE LOVE WAS SO WEIRD.

I really liked seeing Winter and Selene *cough* Cinder *cough* and I think we saw Cress, too? So it all tied in nicely.

Erk, wasn't it awful?! I felt so sorry for that guy. :'( It cleared up a lot of questions I had about the backstory…like I wasn't sure WHO Cinder/Selena's mother was and Fairest made it all make sense. I think Cress was mentioned in passing?! SELENE AND WINTER WERE SO CUTE AS LITTLE KIDS THO. I didn't realise they were like best friends. *sad face*

Whatwhatwaht. Charlotte. YOU MUST FIX THIS. heh. Okay, I shall not be too push. *smothers self* Omg, I AM PLEASED! I really really want to be good at photography and books are my only willing subjects. 0.0*pats shoulder* There there, you can hate me. I will still like you.

Okay, I need to read this book now. I’ve been skeptical about Fairest for a while since it’s a prequel and seems like an excuse for Winter to be pushed back even further. But now you’ve convinced me I need to read it. Also… 800 pages of Winter???!!! GAH THIS IS THE BEST NEWS EVER!!! 😀

I’ve only read Cinder and a bit of Scarlet, I really need to revisit them because this sounds so cool! This series is the reason why I love YA, it can be so emotionally engaging but also reasonably easy to read at the same time!!

But I can still totally see the point of a prequel told from the villain’s perspective. I mean, otherwise, the villain has to TELL the hero/heroine why he/she is how he/she is and we’re all ALWAYS moaning about villains who tell the hero everything instead of just disposing of them and getting on with their evil plans 😉

WHAT. *throws small pointy objects at you*HAHA. Kidding, kidding. XD I shall still speak to you because I'm wonderful like that. 😉 I really adore books by villain's perspectives. I think it makes everything so much more powerful.

I wasn’t too fussed about Cinder to be honest, but I’m really looking forward to reading Fairest! I agree that Levana is just portrayed as a ‘baddie’ – there were rumours about her, but nothing to really make me hate/fear her. And as a rule, I’m much more interested in reading the villain’s perspective than the heroine’s. Okay, so I can’t think of any examples right now (it’s been a long, long day!), but that’s irrelevant.

Man, your review is the one that has pumped me up the most for this book. I already hate Queen Levana so much from the previous books that were out already, but I AM interested to know her background story and where her hate and bitterness comes from. Strangely, this book actually made people quite scarred because of how deranged Levana was. To be honest, the fact that it is disturbingly good is what’s making me excited the most… haha.

YAS. This book made me wildly excited and just LEVANA. That woman. She needed help. xD And I’m kind of in love with that cover – it’s so creepy and perfect and Marissa Meyer is TOTALLY the YA queen, yup. I just want to shake her and ask for her secrets. (I ALMOST SAW HER ON HER BOOK TOUR BUT ALAS IT DID NOT WORK OUT AND I HAVE ALL THE SAD.)

It is a perfectly gorgoue cover, right?! I actually saw the original artwork on pinterest and kind of did a WHAAAT and double-take. XD So that's always strange. but I still love the cover! OMG SO SAD YOU DID NOT MEET HER.

Fairest was AMAZING, but including those extra chapters of Winter was TORTUROUS. I’ve been resisting them because I just can’t handle teasers, but I’m sooo craving Winter right now that it’s been REAL HARD.

I had so much trouble with this book because I absolutely despised Levana. I felt sorry for her but I hated her. By the end I was happy that I read it, but seriously, she is sick. They mentioned that using mind control on a kid was forbidden because it messed up the way their brains developed, I wonder if that’s part of the reason why Levana is so messed up.

SAME! It was such a confusing feeling hating her and feeling bad for her all at once. But like I totally understood where she was coming from but at the same time, SHE WAS SO DELUDED. Gah. And I totally agree that is probably why Levana is messed up. And also obviously no one EVER loved her. That's got to mess you up too. :O

I NEED IT. I NEED IT. I NEED IT. And honestly, I’d love to buy it but I can’t because money and I’m waiting for it at the library but I can’t because demand. And so, I am just rereading Cress right now and mooning over Thorne and dreaming that someday my book will come. Because gosh dangit, I want to know and I want to feel what all you guys get to feel by reading. 🙁

Ugh money is annoying when it comes to things like NEEDING BOOKS ASAP and yet not being able to yet because mooooney. I totally feel your pain. :'( Thorne is amazing. I feel like rereading Cress…OR SCARLET.

I completely agree with everything you’ve said here Cait! (Not surprising, right? 😉 ) This was brilliantly written, and the way Meyer managed to allow us as readers to sympathize and hate Levana at the same time was fantastic. She creeped me out with her twisted versions of love (I mean, who can think like that, you know), but at the same time she was definitely a great queen. And I loved seeing how everything in here ties back to the first three books, you know? (Baby Celine, the reasoning of the disease, etc). Gah…I can’t wait for Winter – especially after this story sheds a bit of backstory on her! Thanks for sharing Cait and, as always, fabulous review! ♥

DEFINITELY NOT SURPRISING. x) We are just twins-of-another-country, Zoe, that is all.I got creeped out too, but I felt so so bad for her. Like no one had EVER loved her. NO ONE. That must so torment a person and the fact that Channery used mind control on her as a kid but they weren't supposed to…Levana was probably psychologically damaged. But can you imagine if she marries Kai?! *freaks out*

Yes! I loved this too!! I was worried that it was going to make me like Levana, but it didn’t. Marissa Meyer is awesome, she can make a book with an awful protagonist still so delicious to read. Is Winter here yet?!

I PRACTICALLY DANCED ON MY DOORSTEP. Except I don't dance. So I rather clutched it and raised it to the heavens and then ran to my room and read it. HA. I was excited. xD Redemption?! I hadn't seen many reviews for it, but…um, yeah, not so much redemption as explaining.

Gah, I saw this in the shops today, and ALMOST bought it. Now, after reading this review, I wish I had! (Though my current TBR pile is currently thanking me that I didn’t. :P) I know Levana is evil and everything, but I’ve always thought she was an interesting characters–so I’m looking forward to reading this. 🙂

TBRs are so so judgy. I honestly spent like AGES today trying to pick a next book to read. The older books judged me. The newer books judged me. Gah. I was tempted to give up and, like, read a cookery book because at least they have feelings. (Don't question this. They do. And also I'm editing so NOTHING I SAY MAKES SENSE ANYMORE. THAT IS A FACT.) I hope you like Fairest! Pfft. Who am I kidding? YOU WILL LOVE FAIREST.

OK I finished Cinder and OMG. I reaaally need to read all of the other books NOW. That ENDING. ;_; I did see the twist at the end coming from miiiles away, but that didn’t really matter, because it’s still all so AWESOME. Just wanted to share that with you. 😀

I HAVE ORDERED THIS FROM BD AND IT IS ON THE WAY TO ME AND I SHALL SOON HAVE IT IN MY HANDS AND THEN I WILL SCREAM WITH JOY *breathes*

I was wondering whether this was going to be an ’embrace the hate’ villain book, or a ‘give me sympathy’ one. I should have known it’d be both, because Marissa is insanely awesome like that!

Wait though . . . there’s romance? Well, actually, yeah. Now that I think about it I suppose there would be but STILL. I didn’t expect that. And it’s creepy? GAH I WANNA READ IT. Dammit, BD, where is my book??

I’m so excited to find out how she got her scars and EXACTLY what happened to Selene. OMG. I’ve waited three books for that moment!!!

Oooh I like finding out about why villains are the way they are so after reading your review I’m very intrigued. I’m going to have to keep lurking on my library’s website until they have a copy of it. I’m not even sure if a library would stock a novella?

I feel so bad because I read and loved Cinder when it came out (I even have a copy! And I’m one who never buys books!), but I STILL haven’t read any of the other Lunar books. Why have I not??? I don’t know! I feel like such a horrible person for it. I must read them for the fairytale retelling challenge at some point.

Why do I keep getting so surprised when people love this one? It sounds amazing, and I loved the first three books and yet every time I see a five-star review I’m surprised. Ignoring my surprise, I want this book with a fiery passion.

Whoa, 800 pages? That’s…. a lot of pages. I am a little intimidated by that. Well, I guess I will worry about that later, since it isn’t out yet, and I still haven’t even read Scarlet (oops). But Fairest… Fairest is nice and tiny. Though I don’t think I should read it yet. I don’t think I know enough about the world to read it yet. I shall read Scarlet and Cress first. Because that is the order they came out in, so in my tortured mind, that is the order I am supposed to read them in. No matter what.

I am really glad you loved it though! Also, your pictures are so pretty, and they make me so happy, because it is very much not full of ice and snow and disgusting where you are. I picture this happening around here someday. Then, my books and I can go on a field trip.

Also, I love the font. I will buy this book even if just for the font. Pretty.

OH MY WORD YES. I haven’t finished Fairest YET but yes, yes, yes. I feel sorry for her and then she goes acts and I’m like, “NO WHY DID YOU DO THAT? DON’T DO THAT?” Seriously, I like Evret so far and, at moments, I ship them (I know it’s twisted), but then Evret breaks out of his haze and I’m like, “dude run.” Seriously, Marissa Meyer is a writing goddess. I don’t love her but I don’t hate her either. It’s more of this continuous feeling of, “WHY, WHY, WHY.” I mean, Levana does all the wrong things.

I have to start by saying, those little white flowers will be the death of me. Those little bastards, I bought one pot from Bunnings and dug them out, they are still coming up three years later. They grow EVERYWHERE!

I still haven’t read Cinder, probably the last YA reader left on earth who hasn’t. I had to skim a little, just in case stuff was blurted. I tried reading it once, but just couldn’t get into it. But that happened with Throne of Glass as well, now I’ve read the series and absolutely LOVED it! That cover is just so lovely though, so you’ve sold me anyway. Creepy romance, villain I could loath more than Jeb? (considering he’s a love interest, but you know why), I’m in. I’m going to have to read Cinder soon.

I BELIEVE YOU. They're growing out of our stairs. I don't think we planted them in the stairs…Hey, I totally understand not getting into Cinder. I actually originally DNF'd it! HOW WEIRD IS THAT?! But now I'm an avid fan. xD Jeb is so totally the villain. Pfft. It's not Morpheus that's for sure.

I totally agree, I feel this book has way more impact reading it later on despite it being a ‘prequel’.
And yes, the romance is so creepy! I love that this book made me understand Levana more but not necessarily like her more. Just it provided more dimensions.

Yes I think this is a background story about a villain, but not a full story in itself. AND I LOVED all the details they offered about Winter, and now I’m just wondering how she gets a little insane from what I’ve seen at the end of Cress. BUT WE WILL SEE. Woo 800 pages! That is kind of intimidating, but I am also looking forward to it!

Can’t believe you read the teaser, that must’ve been hard at the end haha.